Question

On a map, 2 cm represents 30 mi. The actual distance between two towns is 75 mi. What is the distance between, the towns on the map? Show your work.

Answer 1

The distance between the two towns would be 5 cm on the map.

Explanation:

First, think of the 2cm and 30 mi as a ratio meaning that wherever you measure 2cm on the map with a ruler, it will represent 30 mi in the real life scale.

Then, with a bit of reasoning, we can logically state that if 2cm = 30 mi, then 4cm = 60mi (if you double the 2cm, the 30mi will also be doubled) and 1cm = 15mi (if you divide the 2cm by 2, 30mi will also be divided by 2). Therefore, 75mi ( which is 30mi + 30mi + 15mi) is as much 5cm (which is 4cm + 4cm + 1cm) on the map.